Welding system with multi-point contact lift eye

ABSTRACT

A welding system includes a lift eye having a plurality of slotted paths that are both vertically and horizontally offset from each other. Each of the plurality of slotted paths are configured to receive a cylindrical bearing, and enable two resting positions and a lifting position of the lift eye via interaction with the respective cylindrical bearing. In addition, each slotted path of the plurality of slotted paths includes a first substantially vertical slot portion, a smaller second substantially vertical slot portion that is horizontally offset from the first substantially vertical slot portion, and an angled portion connecting bottom ends of the vertical slot portions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/697,998, entitled “WELDING SYSTEMWITH ERGONOMICALLY INTEGRATED RECESSED HANDLE,” filed Sep. 7, 2012, U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/698,020, entitled “WELDING SYSTEMPANELS,” filed Sep. 7, 2012, U.S. Provisional Application Serial No.61/698,027, entitled “WELDING SYSTEM WITH MULTI-POINT CONTACT LIFT EYE,”filed Sep. 7, 2012, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/698,060,entitled “WELDING SYSTEM WITH TERMINAL COVER PIECE,” filed Sep. 7, 2012,each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety forall purposes.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of welding systems,and more particularly to a welding system having a multi-positionlifting mechanism, integrated recessed handles, a louvered front panelwith a sliding cover piece, an enclosure formed from multiple panels, orsome combination of these.

Welding systems often need to be moved or relocated. As such, a weldingsystem should incorporate a mechanism that facilitates lifting of thewelding system. Current welding systems may include only a singlelifting mechanism with limited functionality. This single liftingmechanism is also insufficient for instances when it may be desirable tomove a welding system without having to lift it off the ground. Forexample, when an operator wants to slide or slightly readjust theposition of the welding system, current welding systems have noergonomic (e.g., easy to grab) grip locations. Being unable to securelygrip the welding system may result in damage to the welding systemand/or the operator.

Additionally, most welding system enclosures have exceedingly simpledesigns. Welding system enclosures generally incorporate a cover piecefor the weld output terminals and exposed edges and/or seams between thepanels used to form the enclosure. Particularly, the seams may have gapsbetween panels or overlapping panels and the cover piece may be fragileand may create an obstruction (e.g., get in the way) when not in placeover the output connections. Additionally, the cover piece and thegaps/overlaps may detract from the aesthetics of the welding system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimedinvention are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended tolimit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather these embodimentsare intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of theinvention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of forms thatmay be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

In a first embodiment, a welding system includes a housing having arecess extending into a top side of the housing. The welding system alsoincludes a lift eye disposed within the recess. The lift eye includes aslotted path configured to receive a cylindrical bearing, and enable tworesting positions and a lifting position of the lift eye via interactionwith the cylindrical bearing.

In a second embodiment, a welding system includes an enclosure, and alifting mechanism having at least three selectable positions including alifting position that facilitates lifting of the enclosure, an alignmentposition that facilitates alignment of an external welding componentwith the enclosure, and a retracted position.

In a third embodiment, a welding system includes a lift eye having aplurality of slotted paths that are both vertically and horizontallyoffset from each other. Each of the plurality of slotted paths areconfigured to receive a cylindrical bearing, and enable two restingpositions and a lifting position of the lift eye via interaction withthe respective cylindrical bearing. In addition, each slotted path ofthe plurality of slotted paths includes a first substantially verticalslot portion, a smaller second substantially vertical slot portion thatis horizontally offset from the first substantially vertical slotportion, and an angled portion connecting bottom ends of the verticalslot portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a welding system havinga lifting mechanism and a welding system enclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a welding system havingthe lifting mechanism of FIG. 1 in which the lifting mechanism is in ahidden position for use during operation of the welding system;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a lifting mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a lift eyethat may be part of the lifting mechanism of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of certain components of an embodiment of afront panel assembly of the welding system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top and/or bottom view of an embodiment of recessed handles;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the recessed handle of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the recessed handle along line 8-8of

FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a detail view of an embodiment of a welding system having asliding track;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the welding system ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top view and a front view of an embodiment of a cover piecethat may slide on the sliding tracks of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the front panelassembly, illustrating a detent of one of the louvers;

FIG. 13 is a cutaway side view of the embodiment of the front panelassembly of FIG. 12 taken along line 13-13, illustrating the detent inone of the louvers, and a mating indention in the cover piece; and

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an enclosure havingmultiple sheet metal panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed in the specification. It should be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering ordesign project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madeto achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentinvention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended tomean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

The embodiments described herein include improvements in the form of awelding system lifting mechanism (e.g., lift eye), and welding systemenclosure. These improvements include a lift eye that may be disposedwithin a recess, and a welding system enclosure that includes ergonomichandles, sliding track, and side panels. Such improvements may, forexample, enable operators to arrange the lift eye in multiple positionsand/or relocate/reposition the welding systems via sliding. Theembodiments described herein simplify the use of the welding system anddecrease the possibility of damaging the welding system and/or theoperator. Other benefits of the disclosed embodiments include protectionfor the internal components, the cover plate, and the electricalconnections of the welding system. The improvements may increase theoperability, durability, portability, accessibility, and aesthetics ofthe welding system as a whole.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a welding system 10having a lifting mechanism and a welding system enclosure. The weldingsystem 10 may be used in any suitable welding configuration such as gasmetal arc welding (GMAW), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), gas tungstenarc welding (GTAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), shielded metal arcwelding (SMAW), carbon arc cutting-air (CAC-A), or similar arc weldingprocesses. The welding system 10 is configured to provide welding powerduring performance of the welding processes. The welding system 10includes a housing 12 that may incorporate a lifting mechanism 14 thatmay be used to connect the welding system 10 to a lifting machine suchas a jack or hydraulic lift. The welding system 10 also includes a frontpanel assembly 16 that includes one or more handles 18 that may beergonomically designed to allow comfortable repositioning of the weldingsystem 10 by an operator. The front panel assembly 16 also includes acover piece 20 that may be configured to aesthetically and durablyprotect the weld output connections (and other electrical connections)and other interior components of the weld system 10. The welding system10 also includes side panels 22 that may be used to cover the exteriorof the welding system 10, preventing foreign matter from contaminatingthe welding system 10, and protecting an operator of the welding system10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the welding system 10having the lifting mechanism 14 of FIG. 1 in which the lifting mechanism14 is in a hidden (e.g., fully retracted) position for use duringoperation of the welding system 10. The lifting mechanism 14 may includea lift eye 24 that may be incorporated within the housing 12 of thewelding system 10 to provide an access point for machinery to lift thewelding system 10 and relocate the welding system 10 as necessary.Further, the lift eye 24 may act as a positioning feature for thewelding system 10 when additional components are placed on top of thewelding system 10. For example, a welding wire feeder (not shown) may beplaced on top of the welding system 10 and may use the lift eye 24 as apositioning reference. More specifically, a mating feature in the bottomof the welding wire feeder may align and mate with the lift eye 24 whenit extends from the housing 12 of the welding system 10 (e.g., asillustrated in FIG. 1).

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the lifting mechanism 14.When in use, a portion of the lift eye 24 may extend beyond the housing12 of the welding system 10. The exposed portion 26 may contain a hole28 (e.g., eye, see FIG. 1) for connecting the lift eye 24 to liftingmachinery. The unexposed portion 30 (e.g., that does not extendoutwardly from the housing 12) may contain a series of slots 32 toenable translation of the lift eye 24. When not in use, a majority ofthe lift eye 24 may reside in a recess 34 within the housing 12, suchthat it is not unnecessarily exposed or in the way of other components.

The lift eye 24 may have at least three possible positions, two restingpositions and one lifting position. One resting position 50 (e.g., analignment position) may include the lift eye 24 being slightly exposed,and the other resting position 40 (e.g., when there is a heightrestriction or for more desired aesthetics) may have the lift eye 24retracted within the recess of the housing 12, wherein substantially all(e.g., approximately 95%, approximately 99%, or more) of the lift eye 24is disposed within the housing 12 (see FIG. 2). The lifting position 60may have the lift eye 24 fully extended outwardly from the recess 34.From either resting position (40, 50), an upward force 36 applied to thelift eye 24 may place the lift eye 24 in the lifting position 60. Theupward force 36 may be evenly distributed within the lift eye 24structure through the use of at least two slots 32 in combination withmultiple cylindrical bearings 38 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). It is noted inFIG. 3 that two of four cylindrical bearings 38 are configured to fitwithin the slots 32, whereas all of the cylindrical bearings 38 areconfigured with respective screws 55 and associated nuts 56, whichfunction to hold first and second interior mounting portions 57, 58together about the lift eye 24. It will be appreciated that the firstand second interior mounting portions 57, 58 are used to mount thelifting mechanism 14 within the housing 12 of the welding system 10.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the lift eye24 that may be part of the lifting mechanism 14 of FIGS. 1-3. The lifteye 24 may be in the retracted resting position 40 when the cylindricalbearings 38 are located at the top 41 of the slots 32. When an upwardforce 36 is applied, the lift eye 24 may be forced along the path formedby the slots 32 and the cylindrical bearings 38. The cylindricalbearings 38 may remain fixed while the lift eye 24 translates around thecylindrical bearings 38 in a vertical direction 42 and in a horizontaldirection 44. The top portion 41 of the slots 32 (e.g., long verticalportion of the slot 32) may apply vertical translation, and the angledportion 46 of the slots 32 may additionally apply horizontaltranslation. In certain embodiments, the angled portion 46 of the slots32 may be disposed at approximately 133° from the vertical axis 42,however, any angle 48 between approximately 90° and approximately 180°may be used (e.g., a range between approximately 125° and approximately145° in certain embodiments). Small vertical slot portions 51 at the endof the angled portions 46 may be used to retain the lift eye 24 in theexposed resting position 50. This may provide a stable position to beused as a positioning reference for additional components (e.g., weldingwire feeders, and other components) placed on top of the the weldingsystem 10. In certain embodiments, a third, shorter, side slot 52 may beused to ensure parallel orientation between the lift eye 24 and itsrecess 34 within the housing 12 of the welding system 10.

In order to enable both vertical 42 and horizontal 44 translation, therecess 34 in the housing 12 may be slightly larger than the lift eye 24.In certain embodiments, to prevent contaminants from entering thewelding system 10 through the recess 34, a sliding seal 54 may beincluded adjacent the recess 34 (see FIG. 3). The seal 54 may be formedof a low-friction material and may fit tightly between the surface ofthe lift eye 24 and the surface of the recess 34. Further, in certainembodiments, at least one drain channel 59 may be included below thelift eye 24 to remove any liquid that may enter through the recess 34.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of certain components of an embodiment of thefront panel assembly 16 of the welding system 10 of FIG. 1. The frontpanel assembly 16 includes a top frame member 62, a front panel 64, therecessed handles 18, and side frame members 66 of the welding system 10.Each component of the front panel assembly 16 may comprise more than onepiece, or the separate pieces shown in FIG. 5 may be combined. Forexample, in certain embodiments, the top frame member 62 and the frontpanel 64 may be constructed as a single manufactured item. In otherembodiments, the recessed handles 18 and the side frame members 66 maybe constructed as a single manufactured item. In the illustratedembodiment, the recessed handles 18 are located between the top framemember 62 and the side frame members 66 and may enable an operator torelocate/reposition the welding system 10 with or without usingmachinery to lift the welding system 10. As such, the recessed handles18 may provide a location for the operator to ergonomically grip thewelding system 10. The recessed handles 18 may be incorporated into thehousing 12 of the welding system 10 and may be recessed into the weldingsystem 10.

FIG. 6 is a top and/or bottom view of the recessed handles 18. Therecessed handles 18 include a side face 68 and an aesthetically pleasingangled face 70. Each face (68, 70) may match up with corresponding faces(72, 74) on the side frame members 66. Matching the recessed handles 18with the side frame members 66 gives the welding system 10 a design thatis pleasing to the eye and that integrates the design of the weldingsystem 10. The recessed handles 18 also include internal tabs 76 thatsupport and strengthen the recessed handles 18. For example, therecessed handles 18 may include between approximately two andapproximately twenty internal tabs 76. The internal tabs 76 may securethe recessed handles 18 to the side frame members 66, the top framemember 62, the front panel 64, the housing 12, or a combination thereof.The internal tabs 76 also align the recessed handles 18 with the othercomponents of the front panel assembly 16 and the welding system 10. Inaddition to providing rigidity for gripping, the internal tabs 76 maysimplify the assembly of the recessed handles 18 onto the welding system10.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the recessed handles 18 of FIG. 6. Asillustrated, the recessed handles 18 may be generally symmetrical aboutline A-A. Symmetrical construction enables the recessed handles 18 to beconstructed from a single part that may be installed on either side ofthe welding system 10. In certain embodiments, the recessed handles 18may be coupled to the welding system 10 by fasteners 77 (e.g., nails,bolts, screws, pins, etc.). That is, referring back to FIG. 1, arecessed handle 18 may be installed on a left side 78 of the weldingsystem 10 (facing out from the welding system 10) in the configurationshown in FIG. 7. Or, the same recessed handle 18 may be rotated 180°around the line A-A and installed on a right side 80 of the weldingsystem 10, with the recessed handle 18 again toward the interior of thewelding system 10. The recessed handle 18 includes a recess 82 which isconfigured to ergonomically fit to an operators hand while positioningor adjusting the welding system 10.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of the recessed handles 18 along line 8-8of FIG. 7. To provide an ergonomic grip while remaining recessed in thewelding system, the recess 82 of the recessed handles 18 may be angledsuch that the operator's fingers may firmly grip a recessed angledportion 84. To ensure a comfortable grip, the angled portion 84 (e.g.,inner wall) may be disposed at an angle 86 of approximately 70 degrees(see FIG. 3) from the side face 68 of the recessed handle 18, however,any other suitable angle 86 between approximately 60 degrees andapproximately 80 degrees may be used. In some embodiments, the recessedhandles 18 may be formed of plastic by a casting procedure. The castingprocedure may enable the recessed handles 18, with the internal tabs 76,to be formed in a single step.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the welding system 10having a front cover piece 20. The cover piece 20 may slide withinsubstantially parallel sliding tracks 94 in the front panel assembly 16of the welding system 10. Referring back to FIG. 1, the cover piece 20is located in a lowered (e.g., closed) position 96. In the loweredposition 96, the cover piece 20 substantially covers the electricalconnections 92 (e.g., weld output connections, and other electricalconnections, such as feedback connections, and so forth) of the weldingsystem 10. As such, the cover piece 20 may protect the operator fromaccidentally contacting the electrical connections 92. To reveal (e.g.,entirely expose) the electrical connections 92, the cover piece 20 mayslide upward 98 within the sliding tracks 94 in the front panel assembly16. By sliding up 98 and down 100 within the tracks 94, the cover piece20 remains securely coupled to the welding system 10 and does not createan obstruction for the operator using the welding system 10.

FIG. 10 is a detail view of the embodiment of the welding system 10 ofFIG. 9. To facilitate the sliding motion of the cover piece 20, thecover piece 20 may include a set of side tabs 102, 106, 108 on eachside. The tabs 102, 106, 108 may fit within the sliding tracks 94 in thefront panel assembly 16 of the welding system 10. Additionally, the tabs102, 106, 108 may provide a snap-fit within the sliding tracks 94 tosecurely retain the cover piece 20 within the tracks 94 and prevent thecover piece 20 from being accidentally removed from the welding system10. Once slid into the open position 104 (e.g., “up” position asillustrated in FIG. 9), a detent 138 protruding from one of the louvers114 of the front panel assembly 16 may mate with a complementaryindention 140 in a back wall 142 of the cover piece 20, thereby lockingthe cover piece 20 in the open position 104. FIG. 12 is a perspectiveview of an embodiment of the front panel assembly 16, illustrating thedetent 138 of one of the louvers 114, and FIG. 13 is a cutaway side viewof the embodiment of the front panel assembly 16 of FIG. 12 taken alongline 13-13, illustrating the detent 138 in one of the louvers 114, andthe mating indention 140 in the cover piece 20. Subsequently, asillustrated in FIG. 9, slight downward 100 pressure may unseat thedetent 138 from the complementary indention 140, thereby facilitatingsliding the cover piece 20 into the closed position 96 (as illustratedin FIG. 1).

FIG. 11 is a top view and a front view of an embodiment of a cover piece20 that may slide on the sliding tracks 94 of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. Thecover piece 20 includes the side tabs 102, top tabs 106 and bottom tabs108. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 the cover piece 20 may becontoured to prevent interference between the cover piece 20 and thewelding system 10. Contour points 110 show the angle 112 of the contourthat the cover piece 20 takes in order to provide a separation distance115 between the cover piece 20 and the welding system 10. The coverpiece 20 also provides aesthetic appeal to the welding system 10. Insome embodiments, the front panel assembly 16 may be louvered (e.g.,include a plurality of fan louvers 114 as illustrated in FIG. 1). Thecover piece 20 may incorporate a complementary geometry. For example,the angle 112 of the contour of the cover piece 20 may be constructed tosubstantially match the contour of the louvers 114 of the front panelassembly 16. In addition, the cover piece 20 may include arched openings116 that correspond to the electrical connections 92 through which weldcables (and other electrical cables) connected to the electricalconnections 92 may be disposed when the cover piece 20 is slid into theclosed position 96 (see FIG. 1). Further, the contours of the archedopenings 116 may increase the aesthetic appeal of the welding system 10.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an enclosure havingmultiple sheet metal panels. The housing 12 of the welding system 10 maybe formed from multiple sheet metal panels 118. For example, sheet metalpanels 118 may be used to form side panels 120, a rear panel, and a toppanel for the welding system enclosure. Each of the panels 118 mayinclude tabs 122, depressions 124 (e.g., countersinks, counterbores,holes, tapped holes, etc.), slots 126, and/or other features tofacilitate coupling the panels 118 to other components of the housing 12(e.g., frame, front face, etc.). In certain embodiments, each side panel120 may incorporate a tab 122 along its bottom edge (see FIG. 1). Thetab 122 may mate with a complementary geometry in the frame of thehousing 12 (e.g., an elongated slot 123) and may enable the side panel120 to be coupled to the frame housing 12. Such tab/slot geometry maycreate even seams (e.g., smooth transitions and flush interfaces)between enclosure components, and may be utilized on any combination ofpanels 118 in the welding system enclosure. In other words, once thepanels 118 are secured to the welding system enclosure, there are noprotrusions extending from or indentions extending into the weldingsystem enclosure at the seams.

The panels 118 may also contain depressions 124, such as countersinks,counterbores, and holes, to accommodate fasteners 128. The fasteners 128may be used to attach the panels 118 to the housing 12 of the weldingsystem 10. The depressions 124 may enable secure attachment of thepanels 118 without warping or otherwise deforming or deflecting thepanels 118. Further, the use of depressions 124 with fasteners 128 mayalso improve the seam quality of the enclosure. Improved seam qualitymay increase the aesthetic appeal of the welding system 10, and mayprevent foreign particles from entering the housing 12.

The panels 118, particularly the side panels 120, may also includeinwardly angled flanges 130 extending from an edge (e.g., a top edge) ofthe panels 118. Such flanges 130 may be overlapped by another panel ofthe housing 12. The overlapped flange 130 may form a gap-free seam 132that provides a seal against foreign contaminants As such, the internalcomponents of the welding system 10 may be protected againstparticulates, thereby improving the reliability of the welding system10. Further, the welding system 10 may have increased aesthetic appealdue to minimized gaps and overlapping between panels 118. The use ofedge flanges 130 may also result in reinforced edges and seams,improving the durability of the enclosure. Such a flange 130 may beincorporated on any edge, or combination of edges, on a panel ormultiple panels 118.

Forming the housing 12 of the welding system 10 from individual panels118 may also simplify the assembly process of the housing 12. Forexample, operators may use simple/standard tools to assemble the housing12. The use of simple tools may result in time savings, cost savings,and reduced operator training For example, the use of the tab/slotgeometry may enable the side panels 120 to be simply rotated into placeand secured with fasteners 128. In one embodiment, the assembly methodmay include: coupling a rear panel to the frame, placing a tab 122 ofeach side panel 120 into a slot in the frame, rotating each side panel120 inward (e.g., as illustrated by arrow 134) until it abuts the rearpanel, sliding each side panel 120 horizontally toward the front of thehousing 12 (e.g., as illustrated by arrow 136) until it abuts the frontpanel assembly 16 of the housing 12, placing a top panel to complete theenclosure, and securing the panels 120 with fasteners 128. A fullyassembled welding system enclosure is shown in FIG. 1.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

1. A welding system, comprising: a housing having a recess extendinginto a top side of the housing; and a lift eye disposed within therecess, wherein the lift eye comprises a slotted path configured toreceive a cylindrical bearing, and the slotted path enables two restingpositions and a lifting position of the lift eye via interaction withthe cylindrical bearing.
 2. The welding system of claim 1, whereinresting positions comprise an alignment position that facilitatesalignment of an external component with the housing, and a retractedposition wherein substantially all of the lift eye is disposed withinthe housing.
 3. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the slotted pathcomprises a first substantially vertical slot portion, a smaller secondsubstantially vertical slot portion that is horizontally offset from thefirst substantially vertical slot portion, and an angled portionconnecting bottom ends of the vertical slot portions.
 4. The weldingsystem of claim 3, wherein the angled portion extends in a direction atan angle in a range of approximately 90 degrees and 180 degrees withrespect to a vertical axis of the lift eye.
 5. The welding system ofclaim 3, wherein the angled portion extends in a direction at an anglein a range of approximately 125 degrees and 145 degrees with respect toa vertical axis of the lift eye.
 6. The welding system of claim 1,wherein the lift eye comprises two slotted paths that are bothvertically and horizontally offset from each other.
 7. The weldingsystem of claim 1, comprising a sliding seal disposed adjacent therecess.
 8. The welding system of claim 1, comprising a drain channeldisposed underneath the lift eye.
 9. The welding system of claim 1,comprising first and second recessed handles disposed on opposite sidesof the housing.
 10. The welding system of claim 1, comprising a sidepanel having a tab extending along a bottom edge of the side panel,wherein the tab is configured to mate with a complementary slot in thehousing.
 11. The welding system of claim 1, comprising a front coverpiece configured to slide with respect to the housing to facilitateconnection access to electrical connections.
 12. A welding system,comprising: an enclosure; and a lifting mechanism having at least threeselectable positions including a lifting position that facilitateslifting of the enclosure, an alignment position that facilitatesalignment of an external welding component with the enclosure, and aretracted position.
 13. The welding system of claim 12, wherein thelifting mechanism extends outwardly from the enclosure a first distancewhen the lifting mechanism is in the lifting position.
 14. The weldingsystem of claim 13, wherein the lifting mechanism extends outwardly fromthe enclosure a second distance when the lifting mechanism is in thealignment position, wherein the second distance is less than the firstdistance.
 15. The welding system of claim 12, wherein substantially allof the lifting mechanism is disposed within the enclosure when thelifting mechanism is in the retracted position.
 16. The welding systemof claim 12, wherein the lifting mechanism comprises two slotted pathsthat are both vertically and horizontally offset from each other. 17.The welding system of claim 16, wherein each slotted path comprises afirst substantially vertical slot portion, a smaller secondsubstantially vertical slot portion that is horizontally offset from thefirst substantially vertical slot portion, and an angled portionconnecting bottom ends of the vertical slot portions.
 18. The weldingsystem of claim 17, wherein the angled portion extends in a direction atan angle in a range of approximately 90 degrees and 180 degrees withrespect to a vertical axis of the lifting mechanism.
 19. The weldingsystem of claim 17, wherein the angled portion extends in a direction atan angle in a range of approximately 125 degrees and 145 degrees withrespect to a vertical axis of the lifting mechanism.
 20. A weldingsystem, comprising: a lift eye comprising a plurality of slotted pathsthat are both vertically and horizontally offset from each other,wherein each of the plurality of slotted paths are configured to receivea cylindrical bearing, wherein each of the plurality of slotted pathsenable two resting positions and a lifting position of the lift eye viainteraction with the respective cylindrical bearing, wherein eachslotted path of the plurality of slotted paths comprises a firstsubstantially vertical slot portion, a smaller second substantiallyvertical slot portion that is horizontally offset from the firstsubstantially vertical slot portion, and an angled portion connectingbottom ends of the vertical slot portions.